Fresh Pork Salad Rolls

Fresh Pork Salad Rolls

Variety of lumpia is the Filipino version of Chinese salad rolls. Unlike Lumpiang Shanghai, these roll are not deep-fried. Instead, the filling rests on a lettuce leaf inside a spring  roll wrapper. These spring rolls can make for a substantial snack on their own.

Ingredients:

Sweet Garlic Sauce
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of knife and minced
1 onion, minced
1/4 lb (125 g) pork loin or belly (also called “side pork”), diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (130 g) finely chopped bamboo shoots (about one 10-oz (285-g) can)
1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips
1/4 lb (125 g) cabbage, thinly shredded
1 head green leaf lettuce
One 16-oz (500-g) package frozen spring roll wrappers (about 8 in/20 cm), thawed
Garlic chives or toothpicks, to secure the rolls
2 tablespoons crushed peanuts

How To Make Sweet Garlic Sauce, following the recipe
Sweet Garlic Sauce

Dip the Fresh Pork Salad Rolls (page 32) or the Crispy Fried Fishballs (page 33) in this sauce. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it keeps for a week.
Makes about 1 cup (250 ml) Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes
3 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a knife and minced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Filipino cane vinegar (or white vinegar or cider vinegar diluted with water, page 13)
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water
Combine the garlic, sugar, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the cornstarch mixture. Stir until thickened, and remove from the heat.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Direction:

1. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the pork and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until cooked (it becomes lighter in color). Add the salt, fish sauce, and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
2. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same skillet over medium heat, and sauté the bamboo shoot, carrot, and cabbage for 5 minutes or until cooked. Add to the reserved pork mixture and stir to combine. Set aside to cool.
3. Set a wrapper on a flat surface and place a lettuce leaf in the top center of it, allowing about 1 1/2 inch (3.75 cm) of the lettuce leaf to extend beyond the top of the wrapper. Place about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the pork and vegetable mixture in the middle of the lettuce. Fold the bottom part of the wrapper over half of the filling and then fold the ends toward the middle. Secure the roll using
4. chive stalks (or insert a toothpick). To serve, pour Sweet Garlic Sauce on a roll and top with crushed peanuts.